Shifter Royals 3: The Crown

by Leigh Walker

  His expression briefly softened. “I am here, my lady, standing right in front of you. Worrying about what hasn’t happened is useless if you ask me.”

  “But it’s not useless.” I stepped closer. “What if you’d been hurt out there? What would happen to the rest of us? When it was time to plan our next move, I wouldn’t know which way to turn because you’ve been making deals I know nothing about.”

  His gaze turned dark. “I understand, but I can’t apologize for protecting you. I’ll do so until my last breath.”

  “I have told you that you have my loyalty,” I said. “But how can I give it to you unconditionally if I don’t even know what you’re planning?”

  But the werewolf didn’t appear to be listening to me anymore. He stared blankly across the room, his expression grim.

  “Rhys? Did you hear me?”

  “I’m afraid we can’t talk about this further. No, if this news has gotten out… This is quite a blow.” He shook his head. “My hand has been forced. I am going to have to do something, and it must be done quickly.” Without another word, the werewolf king stormed from the library.

  There was nothing I could do but chase after him.

  Spectator Sport

  I flew out the door after him. “Rhys, wait!”

  “I can’t, Tamara.”

  He didn’t say another word as he marched down one hall and then another. I followed as closely as I could. We flew past Maya on the way, and she gaped at me. I must have been quite a sight with my wet hair and soaked trousers as I took off in hot pursuit of the werewolf king. I ran past her, not even pausing to give the wench a side-eye.

  When Rhys reached Duncan and several of his other advisors, he turned and looked back at me. “Please leave us, Lady Layne.”

  “You need to talk to me, Your Highness. I am not some gnat to be brushed off!”

  He held up a finger to me as if I were a child about to be punished. “Duncan, please see Lady Layne to her chambers. The rest of you, I have an urgent errand. We have a problem that must be dealt with directly.”

  Duncan gave a low whistle as he took me by the arm and led me up the stairs, away from Rhys and the others. “That was quick. Your clothes haven’t even dried yet, and yet you’ve managed to get yourself into quite a mess, Missus.”

  “I have not.” I glanced back over my shoulder, taking one last look at Rhys talking to his men. “What’s the errand he’s having them do? What’s going on?”

  “Well, I don’t know now, do I? I’m too busy taking the soggy heiress to her room for a time-out.”

  I wrenched my arm free and didn’t say another word until he deposited me at my room. Once inside, I stripped off my clothes and took a hot bath. I scrubbed my skin, vigorously washed my hair, and fumed about how I was being completely left in the dark. We were either going to have a final ceremony culminating in a proposal, or we were going to have a war.

  And there I was, stuck in the bath.

  After I dried my hair, I got dressed and went down for lunch. The day had already seemed one-thousand hours long. The façade of the contest would continue, but my thoughts were a million miles away.

  My inner politician forced me into action. There were details to attend to, roles to play. I wasn’t even sure if Dae was still in the contest, but I needed to make sure she was okay. I should also see Joely before her overnight date and wish her luck—it was the decent thing to do. Then there was Mira to consider. She’d worked so hard on the show, and she’d done so many things to help me both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. I should attempt to finish the contest with grace and dignity for her sake if nothing else.

  There was so little time left, but I dreaded it. The reality show seemed superfluous to me now, designed to make me endure frivolities and pageantry while I fretted about real-world consequences.

  Giuliana had left out a deep-purple gown. I chose emerald teardrop earrings to complete the look. I might have felt like hell, but perhaps I could be somewhat cheered by my reflection. Still, I found no solace as I finished my makeup and fluffed my hair. All I wanted was Rhys. I was desperate to know what he’d planned, and whether or not he was in danger.

  I headed down to the kitchen, unsure of the state of the contest. I found Dae and Joely at the kitchen table. To my surprise, they were laughing and chatting. Dae had an enormous ice cream sundae in front of her, while Joely had an untouched salad.

  “Ah, there you are.” Dae stood and hugged me. “I was worried I wasn’t going to get to say goodbye.”

  “Oh, Dae. Please tell me you’re not leaving just yet.”

  “Ugh, now you sound like Mira.” She arched an eyebrow as she plopped back down in her seat. “Come now, no time to be dour. Let’s play a game. Guess our moods based on our plates.”

  “Ha!” I pointed at Dae’s. “Yours is easy: despair, coupled with relief that you’re quitting the show and don’t have to worry about what you eat anymore. Not that you ever needed to worry, of course.”

  Dae laughed. “Ding ding ding!” In contrast to her demeanor on the previous night’s show, she seemed relaxed and happy.

  I pointed at Joely’s plate as she forked a crouton then set it back down untouched. “My dear Joely, you’re nervous as all get out and wondering what’s going to happen on your date. You’re also being careful of not overeating so that you can share a meal with His Highness and be good company. Am I right?”

  Joely laughed and clapped her hands. “You’re the winner, Tamara!”

  “Okay, now guess my mood.” I heaped my plate with a grilled cheese made on thick slices of homemade bread. I added chips then grabbed another plate and filled it with a chocolate biscuit and a vanilla-frosted cupcake.

  Dae laughed. “PMS?”

  “No, but close.” I took a bite of the grilled cheese, which was luscious. “Just a gold-old case of stress. We’re so close to the end…” I wanted to tell them the whole truth, but it would only put them in danger. I turned to Dae, hoping to change the subject. “Are you feeling all right after last night?”

  She nodded. “You know, it’s a bit of a relief, knowing the truth. If he doesn’t love me, I’d rather know now. Of course, I’ve guessed he felt that way for a while. But it feels better to have it out in the open. It’s like they say: ‘the truth shall set you free.’”

  Joely put down her fork. Her coloring had turned a bit green. “I don’t know why I’m even bothering to go on this blasted date. If the king’s already chosen Tamara, tonight will only be an exercise in futility. An embarrassing one at that.”

  “The king hasn’t chosen me, Jo. The contest isn’t over—not yet. Dae drew her line in the sand. She told the king she loved him, and when he didn’t say it back, she was done. You’re a different story. You don’t know how he feels about you.”

  Dae patted Joely’s hand. “You have a much stronger connection to the king than I do. You two are very close. If you truly want to be queen, don’t give up yet. You don’t know what’s going to happen.”

  “It’s true.” I smiled at my auburn-haired friend. “And as awkward as it is—and it is awkward, for we both have feelings for the king—I am still somehow rooting for you.”

  Joely tilted her chin at me. “I’m rooting for you, too, but not to win.”

  “Ha! I didn’t say I wanted you to win. I merely want you to be happy and to look good.”

  The three of us chuckled and continued chatting until Mira came in, her face pale and pinched. “Good afternoon, ladies.” She forced a smile at Joely and me then turned up her nose at Dae. “Lady Phillips, I’m surprised to see you—I thought you’d have already packed your bags and fled. I would’ve thought that since you showed so little respect for the contest last night, the lockdown would be of no consequence to you, either.”

  Dae put down her spoon and groaned. “Aw, bloody hell, Mira. Please don’t keep holding a grudge against me.”

  “I’m not.” Mira surprised me by going to the counter, pouring herself
a large glass of wine, and holding it up. “Cheers, ladies. To the end of the show and the end of my career.”

  Dae’s shoulders slumped. “I told you I’d retape it if you want me to. I’ll climb up into the blasted tree house and make eyes at His Highness then be a doormat for him. I told you I’d do it, and I would. So don’t be so dramatic!”

  “Joely’s ready for her date tonight,” I said, hoping to cheer the sour expression off Mira’s face. “And you know Rhys and Joely always have incredible chemistry on-screen. Don’t say the show’s over just yet. You know the rule: it’s not over ’til it’s over.”

  “I actually think the fans will appreciate the king’s honesty during Dae’s date,” Joely said earnestly. “That episode was riveting—it was so intense. I was entranced by it. At least I was after they turned Maya’s commentary off. It was terrible, Mira. She’s so vicious.”

  Mira waved her hand. “Don’t worry about her. From what His Highness has said, her commentary won’t be an issue for the broadcast.”

  “What does that mean?” Joely asked.

  Mira shrugged her bony shoulders. “I think he’ll have her edited out. The whole production staff complained to him about her performance last night. They said all she did was whine and talk herself up. The king’s not impressed by her so far, not at all.”

  “Is that so?” Maya stepped into the kitchen from the bottom of the stairwell, where she’d obviously been eavesdropping. “If that’s the truth, it’s the first I’m hearing of it.”

  Mira cursed under her breath. “I’m sorry, Maya. That wasn’t meant for your ears.”

  Maya wore a fancy one-shouldered seaweed-green gown and a deep, wicked scowl. “That’s obvious.”

  Joely and Dae attempted to smile at Maya, but I didn’t bother. “Maya, be reasonable. I’m sorry about what you overheard, but think about it. Maybe if you weren’t so cruel with your commentary, the crew and the king would have a different opinion of it. But all you did was say negative things. It was quite toxic, actually.”

  “Oh was it toxic, actually?” Maya put her hands on her hips. “How about when I saw you chasing His Highness all around the castle this morning? Was that toxic? He couldn’t get away from you fast enough.”

  Mira and the others looked at me, and I shrugged. “I had to ask him a question, but he was rather busy.”

  “You’re not supposed to be talking to him off camera,” Mira reminded me.

  I smiled brightly. “Then I didn’t break the rules. There was no talking, as he didn’t have time for a word to me.” I turned back to Maya. “Enough deflecting. You were given a second chance, but all you’re doing is squandering it.”

  A mean smile twisted her pretty face. “You’re high and mighty now, but we’ll see what happens at the end of the contest. Joely’s the better woman, superior to you in every way. You pass judgment, but your time is coming. Mark my words, heiress—every dog has its day. So enjoy it while it lasts; I expect that yours is just about over.” With an exaggerated toss of her hair, she left us.

  “Well, that went well. Don’t you think?” Dae asked.

  We all laughed, but a little voice in my head worried that Maya heard us laughing, too. She was no friend of mine, but I didn’t want to make her feel even worse.

  “Excuse me for a moment. I’ll be back.” I had mixed feelings about it, but I went in search of the former contestant. I knew what Maya was capable of when she felt bitter.

  It was best to get to her, and to try and make peace, while the getting was still good.

  Sacrifices

  I searched the entire first floor of the castle, but there was no sign of Maya or her seaweed-green gown. I wasn’t sure where she’d disappeared to so quickly, but it left me with an uneasy feeling.

  My unease deepened when I heard voices coming from the eastern hall.

  “Please, tell me where we’re going!” cried a female voice.

  “It’s no concern of yours.” I recognized Duncan’s voice at once. “Just keep your mouth shut and move it, vampire.”

  He must be with Jenny. I stole down the hall toward the sound of their voices, but they turned a corner before I reached them. I stood still, listening, until I heard the echoes of their footsteps down the hall to my right. I hustled after them and was about to call out to Duncan when I heard Rhys say, “Bring her to the others. They’ve prepared the barn. She’ll be kept there until sentencing.”

  “Wh-What sentencing?” Jenny asked. “I haven’t done anything wrong. I thought you were going to let me go!”

  “Our plans have changed, I’m afraid.” Rhys didn’t sound happy about it. “It’s out of my control.”

  I rounded the corner and found myself in a wing I’d never visited before. At the end of the hall was a glass door that led to the castle’s rear grounds. Rhys and the others were at the end of it, and I ran toward them. “Rhys! Where are you taking her? What’s going on?”

  The werewolf king didn’t answer me. Instead, he said, “Duncan, please take the prisoner out now.”

  Duncan didn’t look at me as he hustled Jenny away, but she turned back. Her eyes were large, and her mouth was twisted. All the color had drained from her face.

  I waved my arms. “Jenny!”

  She gave me one last terrified look as Duncan threw open the door and took her outside.

  “I’ll come and find you. I promise,” I called after her.

  Rhys stepped in front of me, blocking the exit. “That’s not a promise you can make, my lady.”

  “I beg your pardon, but it absolutely is.”

  “I told you before, I don’t want you involved in the matter. It’s not safe.” His expression was dark, and his voice had an edge to it.

  “And I told you that I don’t take kindly to sitting on the sidelines.” I drew myself up to my full height. “Now please tell me what’s going on. What’re you doing with Jenny? What sentencing were you talking about? What’s she got to do with all this? I don’t understand. I can’t make you out.”

  “That’s because I wasn’t talking to you.”

  “Rhys.” I reached out and grabbed his hand, but it was cold beneath mine. “Please help me understand. Tell me what’s going on!”

  “I need you to trust me, Tamara,” he said. “Can you do that?”

  “Not unless you tell me what’s happening. We just had this discussion, Your Highness. I cannot agree to things when I don’t know what I’m agreeing to.”

  He sighed. “I’m making an example of the vampire. She’ll be sentenced in a public hearing tomorrow morning for attacking me. I’d deal with it right now, but I have to go on that blasted overnight date. The show must go on and all.” His laugh sounded hollow.

  “Rhys, no.” I shook my head. “You can’t punish her for a crime she didn’t commit.”

  He raised his gaze to meet mine. “In order to protect my kingdom and my people, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

  I looked around, making completely certain the hallway was empty. “Do you think King Black will be fooled by such a mock trial?”

  “I don’t know, Tamara. But I bloody hope so. The clock is about to run out on me. There’s no other viable move I can make at the moment.”

  “I disagree, Your Highness. You have not thought it through.”

  “Oh, really?” He arched an eyebrow. “Tell me how I can navigate the circumstances that ensnare me now and threaten to squeeze me—and those I love—in a stranglehold. I assure you I am out of options, my lady.”

  “But how do you expect this to help?” I cried.

  “If King Black believes that I am at least making an effort to keep the peace, it will buy us some time. If I’m sticking to my story—that Jenny was the one who attacked me—it follows that I’m not making the truth public.”

  “The truth about the king, you mean.”

  He nodded. “And a dangerous truth it is—that King Black organized a small band of vampires against me, to show the rebels they have his sympathy.
Because if they take the Realm, they might be satisfied enough to leave the settlements alone.”

  King Black’s offer could be attractive to the rebels. The Black Guard continued to easily beat back the human rebels. The vampires had taken the settlements and had continued to win every subsequent battle. But years of war had taken its toll even on the supernaturals. The continued attacks by the rebels might only be a nuisance, but it was still a nuisance that drained resources and lent to the air of instability in the settlements. King Black wanted to rule free and clear. The rebels were a lingering reminder that the settlements had fought to keep the vampires out, and that fear and mistrust still sat heavy in the hearts of many of the humans.

  The muscle in Rhys’s jaw was taut. He stared straight ahead as he said, “I must make a sacrifice on King Black’s altar. If I don’t and if he hears about these meetings with the rogue vampires, I’m afraid he’s going to start a war that I’ll have to finish. And although I have no problem taking on the king if he comes for what’s mine, I can’t fight Austin. I can’t fight Dallas. I can’t fight my brothers and sisters who are aligned against me merely because they are vampires and I’m a werewolf.”

  Gone was the cocky werewolf who had lain in my bed, vowing to battle King Black. “I thought I would be ready to fight him, but now that war is on my doorstep…” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “This is a fresh start for my pack. We’ve waited for so long to have lands of our own. To spill blood on them so soon seems heresy. I should be triumphant—I’m about to choose my bride and start my true life as king. I do not wish to put my men, after all their struggle and loyalty, at such risk. And I can’t do that to you, Tamara. I won’t.”

  “Okay then—I agree with you. Significant time and thought must be put into executing any strike against King Black, with careful attention paid to keeping your men safe.” I took his hands and looked him in the eye. “But you don’t have to do this with Jenny, not right now. We still have the contest going. King Black won’t attack us while the show’s being aired. He wants everything to appear perfect to his citizens, no hint of trouble or war. You know that.”